I ALWAYS FELT SOMETHING DIFFERENT - CONNOR

iv. four

26 august, Monday, 7:49
THE SCHOOL BUS

"Freshmen sit in the front? Who the fuck made that rule?" Connor asked angrily

"Be careful not to pop a vein!" I told him as I was concentrating on drawing on his hand

(I got bored so after much asking, he finally gave in and let me do my thing)

"Please, let it go. I already got the runs" Eddie pleaded

"Dude, don't tell me that's a lunch box" The curly haired boy let an exasperated sigh

At that I whipped my head in Eddie's direction. He indeed had a lunch box on his lap

"What's wrong with my lunch box?" He asked innocently

"Oh my poor baby.." I shook my head as I went back to drawing stars

"Are you trying to get us killed? Get rid of it!"

"Hey don't move!" I slapped his hand

"Sorry" he apologized

"Let's see what we got. My mom went all out on day one" the boy on my left opened his lunch box to find.. a half eaten sandwich
"He ate my sandwich. Dennis. Her stupid-ass boyfriend!"

"Your mother is still with that scumbag?" Connor asked

"Omg, your mother deserves to be with someone who treats her better than that ass hat" I told him

"I know! And yes, also, he is ruining my life. The other night, he woke me up to ask if he could borrow a condom" Eddie explained

"Man, you put up with that shit?" The boy sitting in my right asked him. I nodded as a sign that I am thinking the same thing

"What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know, slap him, ass his toothbrush"

"Punch him or pull an Amber Heard, your choice" I listed

They both looked at me weirdly and I just shrugged

"The point is, just do something" Connor said

"No. Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing. When you get attacked by an animal you play dead" Eddie pointed his finger at us

"I'm not wired that way. When someone disrespects me I show them where the line is"

And in that moment a basketball hit the back of Connor's head. I tried to hold my laugh but I failed

"Show them where the line is, big guy" I elbowed him

"Oh, shut up" He rolled his eyes as he tried not to grin

"I'd like to see you doing that" I told him as I put my pencil back in my back pack
"Like what I draw?"

A faint smile appeared on his face at the sight of his hand
"I love them, thanks" he thanked me as he let his thumb run over the drawing

I turned to Eddie to continue talking about a cartoon we both saw a week ago. In the corner of my eyes I saw how Connor caressed a heart I drew with his initial in the middle of it

The gesture made me feel something bubbly in my stomach and smile like an idiot

Wait a minute-